January sales by Renault Samsung Motors Co. jumped 17.3 percent from a year earlier, helped by demand for popular models such as the SM3 compact sedans and QM5 crossover utility vehicle, the South Korean division of French automaker Renault SA said Monday.

The country's smallest car manufacturer by sales said it sold a total of 6,698 vehicles last month, compared with 5,709 units tallied in first month of 2013.

The press release said domestic sales soared 16.9 percent on-year to 4,500 units, with overseas sales hitting 2,198 vehicles for a gain of 18.2 percent.

The carmaker said last month's numbers reflected better consumer perception for its car models. Sales of the SM3 increased 48.8 percent on-year, while comparative numbers for the QM5 CUV soared 133.7 percent.

For the whole of 2014, the carmaker predicted sales will likely improve vis-a-vis the year before, with demand rising for some of its models in both the domestic and overseas markets. (Yonhap News)